Maintaining a healthy bond with your dog can be difficult sometimes. Even we struggle with doggy-human communication.

So, we've made up a list of 10 pieces of advice to help your relationship with your dog.

1. Patience Is Key

Though we may be repeating ourselves, we can't stress enough how important having patience is to maintaining a healthy and happy relationship with your dog.

Training and maintaining positive behavior in dogs in an everyday effort, that will need constant improvement over time. Being patient and understanding that your dog may need more reminders for some habits is also important.

Not all dogs learn in the same way. If your dog is struggling with a certain concept, try altering your methods to suit his learning capabilities.

2. Everyone Has Bad Days

Everyone has their good and bad days. Even dogs!

Whether it's changes in the environment, an upset tummy, or even a case of the Mondays, your dog will experience bouts of depression in his lifetime. This could last from a few hours to a few weeks.

Do what you can to make him as comfortable as possible, and remind him that you are there to provide love and support. In some cases, leaving him be is the best solution.

He may just need a rest day!

3. Lay Down The Law

Even in the wild, animals have leadership and rules to follow. It's in your dog's genes to respect authority and the law of the land.

If you want to maintain a healthy relationship with your dog, you will have to be clear and concise about the house rules. This means, if you don't want your dog on the furniture, don't let him on the furniture. Period.

We personally prefer our furry friends to snuggle up in bed with us, but everyone has their own preference! Be consistent and be fair. Your dog will appreciate you for it.

4. Dogs Don't Live Forever

This is something often forgotten by pet parents. No matter how badly you want him to, your dog will not live forever. He most likely won't even live for the majority of your life.

Dogs are here for a brief moment in time to teach us the power of unconditional love, and how to enjoy each day. Cherish the time you get to spend with your dog, and don't wish for him to grow up so quickly.

Ten years from now, you'll want nothing more than to relive those first few years.

5. He Can't Speak English

Even though pet parents insist that their dog understands what they are saying, this is not true. Don't get us wrong, dogs are intuitive creatures, who can learn up to 165 words. That might even be more than most people! But they lack the ability to string together sentences.

The way dogs truly connect with humans is through body language and tone of voice. They can also sense your mood, which is very handy when you are feeling too sad to even tell your dog what's wrong. He will know, and have snuggles ready.

Most people assume that their dog understands exactly what they are saying. However, if the dog is not responding in the way you want him too, he probably has no idea what's going on. Maybe try a different method, and always remember to use consistent phrasing for commands.

6. Find A Common Interest

Like people, dogs need hobbies! Finding a physical or mental outlet for your dog is just as important as putting your human child in extra curricular activities. Many dogs will become bored of lazing around the house, and need a way to burn off all that steam.

Going to the park and playing fetch is a simple way to strengthen the bond between you and your dog, as well as teach valuable recall skills.

Hiking, biking, jogging, and swimming are all perfect examples of ways to spend time with your dog, while getting some much needed exercise.

For the more active dogs, like working or hunting breeds, pet parents can try activities like agility, tracking, or dock diving!

7. Be Kind

This one is a no-brainer for pet parents, but some people can't seem to grasp the concept. Be nice to your dog!

Dogs are very sensitive animals, that are a fraction of the size of human beings. This means that they are more fragile, and easily harmed. They also completely depend on you for their livelihood and safety.

If you are kind to your dog, he will be forever grateful, and remain a loyal companion. Dogs from caring homes are also more likely to live longer than others.

"There are no bad dogs, only bad owners."

8. Be Forgiving

Everyone makes mistakes, and your dog is no exception. You may think he's perfect, but he will mess up on numerous occasions throughout his lifetime. The most important thing to remember is to be forgiving.

Staying angry with your dog after he's made a mistake or acted out is unhealthy for your relationship. Chances are, he feels bad enough already.

His purpose in life is to make you happy. Your disappointment is punishment enough.

Forgive and forget!

9. He LOVES You

"He may only be here for a part of your life, but to him, you are his whole life."

To your dog, you are a belly rubbing, food providing, snuggle buddy super hero, who would do anything to make him happy. And he loves you for that!

You mean the entire world to him, and he would do anything for you. When he's acting out, or misbehaving, chances are he's still trying to please you. He does everything in his life with you in mind, and couldn't imagine spending his days with anyone else.

Try to remember that next time he jumps on the couch, or brings you a shoe.

10. You LOVE Him

You love your dog. I don't think we need to tell you that. But sometimes we forget how much we love them when we're angry.

No dog is perfect, and you will experience times where all you want to do is ship him back to the shelter. These are the moments when you need to stop and think about all the reasons you love your dog.

He is your fur-baby after all, and what would kids be without a little frustration?

The next time you feel angry with your dog, give him a big squeezy hug. You'll quickly forget why you were even upset.

Alyssa Castle

Author

Alyssa Lynn Castle is a certified crazy dog lady, who spends most of her days exploring with her two fur kids. She is a bully breed advocate, and a firm believer in the phrase "Adopt! Don't Shop."
You can check out photos of her adorable pups and their adventures on their Instagram account
@mortthepitbull